Written Answers Monday 22 May 2006

Scottish Executive

Bankruptcy and Diligence etc. (Scotland) Bill

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will amend the Bankruptcy and Diligence etc. (Scotland) Bill to exempt the main dwelling house from a land attachment.

Allan Wilson: The Executive intends that the reforms in the Bankruptcy and Diligence etc. (Scotland) Bill will strike a fair balance between creditors and debtors.

  As part of striking the right balance, the intended new diligence of land attachment already includes robust debtor protections that will apply where homes are attached, including a power for the court to refuse to agree a sale that will have an unduly harsh effect, and a duty on the court to look at whether there is suitable alternative accommodation.

  Also, land attachment is a diligence and debtors can therefore stop an attachment by getting help and support from the new Debt Arrangement Scheme

  The Executive nonetheless notes the recommendation in the stage 1 report that the main dwelling house should be exempted. We will therefore consider carefully whether or not to make changes at stage 2 of the bill.

Central Heating Programme

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many companies, including sub-contractors, which carried out work under the central heating programme have received complaints from customers, broken down by local authority area.

Johann Lamont: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Eaga Partnership has informed Communities Scotland that there are currently 53 companies engaged on the Programme, of which 44 have received complaints from customers. Some complaints received are not upheld or are of a minor nature.

  Information is not held by local authority area.

Central Heating Programme

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many heating systems installed under the central heating programme have subsequently been found to have been installed incorrectly.

Johann Lamont: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Eaga Partnership has informed Communities Scotland that since October 2004, out of a total of 21,780 installations, 1,322 systems required some remedial work post-installation.

  Information is not available prior to October 2004.

Central Heating Programme

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many follow-up repairs have been carried out to heating systems installed under the central heating programme within the first year following installation, broken down by local authority area.

Johann Lamont: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Eaga Partnership has informed Communities Scotland that from April 2004 until March 2006 out of a total of 27,069 installations, 529 complaints were received in relation to heating systems requiring repairs within the first year following installation. This information is not available prior to 2004-05 and is not held by local authority area.

Central Heating Programme

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many companies which have received grants to install heating systems under the central heating programme have subsequently been de-registered by Corgi.

Johann Lamont: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

  All gas installation companies engaged on the programme must be Corgi registered.

  Information on companies subsequently de-registered by Corgi is not held centrally.

Fair Trade

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-17123 and S2W-23825 by Patricia Ferguson on 17 June 2005 and 17 January 2006 respectively, whether the Fair Trade Group referred to is a cross-party group or an Executive group; what meetings of the group have taken place since its formation, and what work is on-going to progress the fair trade agenda in Scotland and towards Scotland’s designation as a Fair Trade Nation.

Patricia Ferguson: The Cross Party Group on Fair Trade is an informal group whose purpose is to provide input on Scotland’s efforts towards becoming a Fair Trade Nation. The group includes representation from all political parties, with members nominated by their respective party leaders. The group has met twice since its formation – on 26 May 2005 and 25 January 2006 – to consider how to progress the Fair Trade agenda and aspiration for Scotland to become a Fair Trade Nation, and will next meet on 7 June.

  The Executive has been liaising closely with the Fairtrade Foundation and the Welsh Assembly Government to establish relevant criteria for a Fair Trade nation as these do not exist at present.

MMR Vaccine

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are in place to establish whether a child is allergic to neomycin before they are given the MMR vaccine, in light of the recommendation by the producers of MMR vaccines that children allergic to neomycin do not receive the MMR vaccine.

Lewis Macdonald: Prior to administering the vaccine, the health professional immunising is required to ask a series of questions to establish whether the child is able to receive the vaccines indicated that day. These questions include establishing whether the child has any allergies.

  There is clear guidance and information, widely distributed to health professionals with responsibility for immunisations, that individuals with severe allergies to neomycin should not receive MMR. This includes the following resources:

  Summary of Product Characteristics and Patient Information Leaflets for MMR vaccines produced by the manufacturers.

  The MMR Discussion Pack produced by NHS Health Scotland.

  Immunisation Against Infectious Disease produced by the Department of Health.

Olympic Games

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what support it will offer to low-income elderly Olympic sport veterans and medal winners to travel to Melbourne to take part in the 50th anniversary Olympic reunion in November 2006.

Patricia Ferguson: The Executive has no plans to offer financial support to 1956 Olympians who wish to attend the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games reunion.

Olympic Games

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to commemorate the Olympic medal winners from Scotland who represented their country at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne.

Patricia Ferguson: The Executive has no plans in place to commemorate our 1956 Olympic medal winners.

Olympic Games

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish companies have secured contracts relating to the London 2012 Olympic Games and what the nature and financial size are of any such contracts.

Patricia Ferguson: The Scottish Executive is not aware of any Scottish companies who have, as yet, secured contracts in the post bid phase of the Olympic preparations.

Olympic Games

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the number of Scottish-based companies that have made bids for contracts relating to the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Patricia Ferguson: The Scottish Executive does not hold this information.

Prison Service

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-23895 and S2W-23896 by Cathy Jamieson on 20 March 2006, whether "reliable information is readily available only from 1999" indicates that the Scottish Prison Service holds figures for the period prior to 1999 but that these are not as readily available as the figures for the period from 1999 and, if so, whether it will now provide the (a) staffing levels at the headquarters of the Scottish Prison Service and (b) number of prison officers employed, broken down by year between 1990 and 1999.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The only detailed records readily available to us are from 2000 onwards, and previous questions (S2W-23895 and S2W-23896) were answered on that basis.

  The only other readily available source of information prior to this date are the SPS Annual Reports and Accounts for 1990 onwards, which are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. numbers 39624, 39625, 39626, 39627, 39628, 39629, 39630, 34446).

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Public Sector Staff

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the staff of public bodies have been seconded to private and independent organisations in each year since 1999.

Mr Tom McCabe: The number of staff seconded by the Scottish Executive to private and independent organisations in the period 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2006 is 485. The following table shows a breakdown by financial year and shows the number seconded to the private sector separately.

  

 Financial Year
 Total Number of New Secondments
 Number to Private Sector


 1999-2000
 84
 4


 2000-01
 65
 4


 2001-02
 60
 6


 2002-03
 58
 3


 2003-04
 67
 1


 2004-05
 84
 1


 2005-06
 67
 3


 Total
 485
 22



  For the purposes of answering this question the response is based on the position in the Scottish Executive only. The Scottish Executive does not hold information relating to other public bodies.

Public Sector Staff

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost has been to the public purse of secondment arrangements between public bodies and private and independent organisations in each year since 1999, also broken down by public body entering such arrangements.

Mr Tom McCabe: The cost of the arrangements for secondments between the Scottish Executive and private and independent organisations, including the wider public and voluntary sectors, since 1999 has been £6,818,427.

  

 Year
 Total


 1999-2000
£383,414


 2000-01
£720,592


 2001-02
£831,446


 2002-03
£1,395,900


 2003-04
£1,255,020


 2004-05
£959,517


 2005-06
£1,272,538


 Total
£6,818,427



  For the purposes of answering this question the response is based on the position in the Scottish Executive only. The Scottish Executive does not hold information relating to other public bodies.

Scottish Executive Staff

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of its staff at grade C1 or above reported as unfit for work as a result of stress in each year since 2001, broken down by department and expressed also as a percentage of the total number of staff employed at C1 or above.

Mr Tom McCabe: The following table shows those members of staff at grade C1 or above in the core departments of the Scottish Executive who have had at least one period of sick absence due to stress in the relevant calendar year. The staff numbers used as the base for the percentages are as at 31 March for each year.

  

 Department
 Number Per Year
 Percentage Per Year


 2001
 2002
 2003
 2004
 2005
 2001
 2002
 2003
 2004
 2005


 Centrally Managed Staff
 0
 0
 1
 0
 2
 0.0%
 0.0%
 1.0%
 0.0%
 2.1%


 Development Department
 0
 0
 0
 0
 1
 0.0%
 0.0%
 0.0%
 0.0%
 1.2%


 Education Department
 0
 2
 0
 0
 1
 0.0%
 3.6%
 0.0%
 0.0%
 1.4%


 Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Dept
 0
 2
 2
 2
 1
 0.0%
 3.0%
 2.7%
 2.6%
 1.2%


 Environment and Rural Affairs Department
 1
 1
 0
 0
 1
 1.0%
 1.0%
 0.0%
 0.0%
 0.9%


 Finance and Central Services Department
 0
 1
 0
 0
 1
 0.0%
 1.0%
 0.0%
 0.0%
 1.0%


 Health Department
 1
 1
 0
 0
 0
 1.1%
 1.1%
 0.0%
 0.0%
 0.0%


 Justice Department
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0.0%
 0.0%
 0.0%
 0.0%
 0.0%


 Legal and Parliamentary Services
 0
 0
 0
 0
 1
 0.0%
 0.0%
 0.0%
 0.0%
 0.8%


 Office Of The Permanent Secretary
 1
 0
 0
 0
 0
 2.9%
 0.0%
 0.0%
 0.0%
 0.0%


 Total
 3
 7
 3
 2
 8
 0.4%
 0.9%
 0.4%
 0.2%
 0.9%

Scottish Executive Staff

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of its staff at grade B3 or below reported as unfit for work as a result of stress in each year since 2001, broken down by department and expressed also as a percentage of the total number of staff employed at B3 or below.

Mr Tom McCabe: The following table shows those members of staff at grade B3 or below in the core departments of the Scottish Executive who have had at least one period of sick absence due to stress in the relevant calendar year. The staff numbers used as the base for the percentages are as at 31 March for each year.

  

 Department
 Number Per Year
 Percentage Per Year


 2001
 2002
 2003
 2004
 2005
 2001
 2002
 2003
 2004
 2005


 Centrally Managed Staff
 15
 18
 23
 24
 17
 2.0%
 2.2%
 2.8%
 3.0%
 2.4%


 Development Department
 2
 11
 7
 3
 6
 0.6%
 3.0%
 2.7%
 1.2%
 2.8%


 Education Department
 2
 4
 7
 3
 5
 1.3%
 2.1%
 3.7%
 1.6%
 2.3%


 Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Dept
 6
 3
 1
 3
 5
 2.2%
 1.0%
 0.3%
 0.8%
 1.3%


 Environment and Rural Affairs Department
 10
 16
 19
 19
 14
 1.0%
 1.5%
 1.8%
 1.8%
 1.4%


 Finance and Central Services Department
 3
 13
 10
 10
 7
 1.2%
 4.0%
 2.2%
 2.3%
 1.9%


 Health Department
 2
 6
 7
 11
 3
 0.8%
 2.0%
 2.2%
 3.4%
 1.0%


 Justice Department
 5
 4
 6
 3
 1
 2.8%
 2.2%
 3.2%
 1.4%
 0.5%


 Legal and Parliamentary Services
 1
 1
 1
 0
 1
 1.9%
 1.6%
 1.5%
 0.0%
 1.5%


 Office Of The Permanent Secretary
 11
 20
 18
 16
 18
 1.7%
 2.9%
 2.4%
 2.2%
 2.2%


 Total
 57
 96
 99
 92
 77
 1.4%
 2.2%
 2.2%
 2.1%
 1.8%

Scottish Executive Staff

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what training and guidance it has in place to support its staff who suffer from stress.

Mr Tom McCabe: As part of its commitment to the Scottish Health at Work (SHAW) programme, the Executive provides advice and organises events for its staff on a range of issues, including dealing with stress, smoking cessation, improving general health, etc. Staff also have access to a counselling and welfare service and occupational health and safety support, including risk assessment for stress.

Sport

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it cancelled a meeting with  sportscotland planned for 2 May 2006 and, if so, what the reason was for the cancellation.

Patricia Ferguson: A provisional date for a meeting had been identified, however, the meeting was postponed because it no longer needed to be held on that date.

Sport

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it cancelled an announcement on the relocation of  sportscotland planned for 3 May 2006 and, if so, what the reason was for the cancellation.

Patricia Ferguson: This was a provisional arrangement. I would draw the members attention to the answer to question S2W-26015 on 18 May 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Sport

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Sport 21 review group will publish its recommendations.

Patricia Ferguson: I expect to receive the Sport 21 Steering Group’s report over the summer and to be able to publish a report in the autumn.